At the Gala
by Fnuggi
Summary: Missing scene from episode 4. Takes place during Tarrlok's gala. Contains Borra fluff.


Bolin had never felt comfortable in situations like the one he currently found himself in.

When Korra had first asked him to go to the gala Tarrlok was throwing in her honor, he had been reluctant to. However, when she had said that Mako would be going with Asami and that she didn't want to be left alone with them, he had given in to her pleading.

The two of them had arrived together along with Tenzin and his family, but Bolin had lost Korra when Tarrlok had taken her to talk to the press of Republic City. He hadn't seen her since. He had already asked Asami and Mako if they had seen the water tribe girl, but they said they hadn't, so he had now been wandering around aimlessly for the past hour, looking for her with no success.

Bolin sighed and looked around awkwardly. No, he did not feel comfortable at all in a setting like this. This was a big event event that Tarrlok had thrown in the avatar's honor, and anyone who was anything was there. Having live almost his entire life on the streets as an orphan, Bolin had never attended social gatherings like this one. All he wanted to do was find Korra and spend the rest of the evening with her.

While they had only known each other for a short period of time, Bolin had come to enjoy the company of the hot headed, short tempered girl, and he would be lying if he said that the prospect of getting to spend an evening with Korra hadn't been a part of why he had said yes to going with her in the end.

Still, if he had to choose, he would have preferred to spend the evening with her in a less formal setting where their every move wasn't being watched by the press. He would have preferred to take her to his favorite place downtown. It wasn't a fancy place, but he was sure Korra would have appreciated it none the less.

That was when he spotted her out on the balcony that was connected to the ballroom in which the gala was being held. She had her back turned to the brightly lit room and was looking out over the bay towards the memorial statue of Avatar Aang.

When she heard the sound of footsteps, she turned around to see who it was. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she saw it was just Bolin. She had expected it to be Tarrlok, or maybe Tenzin, wanting her to go back inside with them. She wasn't going to do that. After her encounter with the press, she had needed some space and that was why she had come out here in the first place.

"Hey Korra" he says quietly and walks over to stand next to her. For the longest while she doesn't say anything, doesn't even acknowledge his presence, but when she finally speaks, the words tear at his heart.

"Do you think I'm a bad avatar?" she asked, concern and doubt filling her voice. She hated herself for having let Tarrlok manipulate her into joining his task force, and thinking of Avatar Aang, the avatar that had come before her, didn't help her mood at all. All she wanted to do was to live up to Aang's legacy, and yet here she was, unable to master air bending and doing

more to destroy the city than to help it.

Bolin looked at her, his heart breaking a little at the tone of her voice. He wanted to help her so badly, but he wasn't sure what he could say to make it better. Still, he had to try because he hated seeing one of his close friends in this emotional state.

"No Korra, I don't think you're a bad avatar. But you have to stop comparing yourself to Avatar Aang. You're not him" Bolin said truthfully, flashing Korra one of his irresistible smiles.

"I know" Korra replied with small smile. "It's just so hard not to compare myself to him. I mean, look at everything he accomplished in his life. Hell, he had mastered all four elements and the avatar state at the age of thirteen. Not to mention, he also ended the hundred year war" Korra's voice rose in volume as she talked.

Bolin just let her rant, knowing that she probably needed it.

"I know I'm supposed to find my own path as the avatar, it's just so damn hard" Korra's hands were balled into fists and her voice held a note of desperation in it.

For a while, Bolin said nothing to her. He wanted to comfort her, to make her feel better, but he wasn't sure how. It was so hard for him to imagine her as the avatar, as the person who was the epicenter of the balance of the entire world.

Most of the time, he saw her as one of his and Mako's good friends, a team mate, and not as the avatar. Finally, he spoke.

"Korra, I know that you may think that you have to face Amon alone, and I know that you like doing things on your own, but the truth is, it don't have to be like that" He now had her full attention, but before she could say something to stop him, he continued speaking.

"The truth is, you have me, Mako and Pabu right by your side all the time. And you also have Tenzin and his family who wants to help you too" Korra looked thoughtfully out over the bay. She knew he was right, of course she did. She was just too proud and stubborn to admit it, to admit that she did need help.

Bolin took the time to admire Korra. She had always been beautiful to him, and tonight she looked even more beautiful than she normally did. They hadn't known each other very long, but Bolin felt comfortable around Korra in a way he had never felt around a girl before. He had known from the moment he saw her in the gym that she wasn't just another probending fangirl like the ones that would usually sneak into the locker room after the matches to talk to them.

No, Korra was something else. As violent, impulsive, prideful and stubborn as she could be, she was also a loyal friend and someone who you could always count on to be there for you, no matter what. She was someone who always tried to do the right thing, and that was something Bolin admired about her.

Finally, Korra spoke. "I know" some times she just forgot it. For the first time since her encounter with the press earlier that evening, Korra smiled. She was glad she had a friend like Bolin who was always there for her when she needed it.

"Still, I can't believe I let Tarrlok manipulate me like that" She said with a frown. Tenzin had tried to warn her before they had left Air Temple Island, that Tarrlok never did anything without a reason and she had still let it happen.

"Hey, look at me" Bolin said, turning to face Korra again. Korra looked at him curiously, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"You couldn't know what Tarrlok was planning" Bolin said simply, not knowing about Tenzin's warning.

Korra looked at him, doubt evident in her eyes as she spoke. "But that's just it, I did know that Tarrlok was up to something because Tenzin tried to warn me and I still let myself be manipulated" The words was followed by a sig from Korra.

After this, the two of them stayed quiet for a good, long while, just enjoying each other's company. That was what Korra liked so much about Bolin. He was always there when she needed him, and like the earth that he bended, he was strong and reliable. She knew that he would always be there for her if she needed it, and for that she was thankful.

"You want to dance?" The voice of Bolin broke into her thoughts. At first, Korra just stared at him, completely stunned. She had no idea Bolin knew how to dance.

"You know how to dance? Where did you learn?" she asked her eyes shining with curiosity. She had never imagined that Bolin out of all people would know how to dance.

"Uh, yeah…"Bolin replied, suddenly feeling very self cautious. He had no idea what had possessed him to ask Korra, one of the most amazing girls he knew, to dance with him, and suddenly, everything felt so very awkward. "You pick up all sorts of skills on the streets" He then added with a small shrug of his shoulders, trying to brush it off as if it was nothing special.

There was a moment of silence following this confession before Korra spoke again.

"I'd love to dance with you Bolin, but I don't know how to. Learning to dance was never exactly one of my top priorities" She joked, referring to her childhood which had been spend in a military compound belonging to The Order of the White Lotus.

"Don't worry, just follow my lead" Bolin said, taking her hand into his own. Korra's heart rate increased to ten times its normal rate at this small, simple gesture, and her chest suddenly felt very tight and she had trouble breathing properly.

"Relax" Bolin said, feeling how tense she was. The next thing he did was to place Korra's hand that he wasn't holding in his own on his shoulder.

"Now, just relax and follow my lead" Bolin said with a small smile.

At first, Korra felt like a newly hatched turtleduck, clumsy and stiff as she was. More than once, she stepped on Bolin's feet, and every time she did, Bolin would brush it off. As they waltzed back and forth on the balcony, the movement became more and more natural to Korra and she began to relax and enjoy it.

When they finished dancing, Korra had a big smile on her face, which made Bolin very happy. He hated it when his friends were sad, so it was nice to see Korra's beautiful smile again.

"Thanks for cheering me up Bo. It really helped" Korra said sincerely, and before Bolin knew what was happening, Korra had wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a tight hug.

At first Bolin didn't hug her back for the simple reason that he had not expected something like this to happen, but then, he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug.

"You're welcome Korra" he said quietly as the water bender girl rested her head on his shoulder and the stars twinkled in the sky above the two of them.

"It's nice to know that I can come to you when I have problems" Korra said after a while, looking Bolin in the eyes. The earth bender suddenly felt his cheeks grow hot as he replied.

"I'm always here for you if you need it Korra, no matter what" he said seriously, meaning every single word of it.


End file.
